Effects of Exercise on Depression in Rheumatic Disease
Effects of Exercise on Depression in Rheumatic Disease
Arthritis is a broad term used to describe more than 100 rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect joints as well as the surrounding tissues around joints. The most common form of disability in the United States (US), arthritis affects all racial and ethnic groups and is more common in women than men. Based on 2007–2009 data, the prevalence of doctor-diagnosed arthritis in the US was reported to be 50 million, or about 20%, of all adults. In terms of costs, an increase of 41.8 billion dollars in total costs (from 86.2 to 128 billion dollars) was reported between 1997 and 2003 in the US.
Four common types of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and systemic lupus erythematous. More specifically, the prevalence of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and systemic lupus erythematous have been estimated to be 27 million, 1.5 million, 5 million, and 161,000, respectively. A common problem among adults with arthritis is depression. For example, a recent study that included 1,793 US adults 45 years of age and older with arthritis found that 18% had depression while only slightly more than half (51.3%) sought help for their depression.
One potential treatment option for adults with arthritis and depression is exercise, a low-cost nonpharmacologic intervention that is available to the vast majority of the general population. Systematic reviews with meta-analysis, a quantitative approach for combining the results of different studies on the same topic, are considered by many to be the most important type of evidence for determining the efficacy and effectiveness of various treatments on selected outcomes. Unfortunately, with the proliferation of systematic reviews on the same topic, it becomes difficult to make informed decisions regarding the effects of various interventions on selected outcomes. For example, a recent systematic review identified 33 previous meta-analyses examining the effects of exercise on blood pressure. Given the proliferation of systematic reviews, with or without meta-analysis on the same topic, a need now exists to systematically review these previous reviews in order to provide decision-makers and practitioners with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions regarding the efficacy and effectiveness of various interventions on selected outcomes as well as provide researchers with direction for future research. Given the former, the purpose of the current study was to conduct a systematic review of previous meta-analyses addressing the effects of exercise (aerobic, strength training or both) on depressive symptoms in adults with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia or systemic lupus erythematous.
Background
Arthritis is a broad term used to describe more than 100 rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect joints as well as the surrounding tissues around joints. The most common form of disability in the United States (US), arthritis affects all racial and ethnic groups and is more common in women than men. Based on 2007–2009 data, the prevalence of doctor-diagnosed arthritis in the US was reported to be 50 million, or about 20%, of all adults. In terms of costs, an increase of 41.8 billion dollars in total costs (from 86.2 to 128 billion dollars) was reported between 1997 and 2003 in the US.
Four common types of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and systemic lupus erythematous. More specifically, the prevalence of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and systemic lupus erythematous have been estimated to be 27 million, 1.5 million, 5 million, and 161,000, respectively. A common problem among adults with arthritis is depression. For example, a recent study that included 1,793 US adults 45 years of age and older with arthritis found that 18% had depression while only slightly more than half (51.3%) sought help for their depression.
One potential treatment option for adults with arthritis and depression is exercise, a low-cost nonpharmacologic intervention that is available to the vast majority of the general population. Systematic reviews with meta-analysis, a quantitative approach for combining the results of different studies on the same topic, are considered by many to be the most important type of evidence for determining the efficacy and effectiveness of various treatments on selected outcomes. Unfortunately, with the proliferation of systematic reviews on the same topic, it becomes difficult to make informed decisions regarding the effects of various interventions on selected outcomes. For example, a recent systematic review identified 33 previous meta-analyses examining the effects of exercise on blood pressure. Given the proliferation of systematic reviews, with or without meta-analysis on the same topic, a need now exists to systematically review these previous reviews in order to provide decision-makers and practitioners with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions regarding the efficacy and effectiveness of various interventions on selected outcomes as well as provide researchers with direction for future research. Given the former, the purpose of the current study was to conduct a systematic review of previous meta-analyses addressing the effects of exercise (aerobic, strength training or both) on depressive symptoms in adults with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia or systemic lupus erythematous.